Two men fined for eating raw squirrels to protest veganism as people begged them to stop

Deonisy Khlebnikov, 22 and Gatis Lagzdins, 29, ate the squirrels, with the skin and fur still intact, at the Soho Vegan Food Market in late March.

Two men who staged a grisly protest against veganism were fined and convicted of disorderly conduct after they ate dead squirrels in front of a vegan stall at a London outdoor market.

Deonisy Khlebnikov, 22 and Gatis Lagzdins, 29, ate the squirrels, with the skin and fur still intact, at the Soho Vegan Food Market in late March.

They were found guilty of disorderly behavior "likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress" Monday after denying the charge in court last month.

“Deonisy Khlebnikov and Gatis Lagzdins claimed they were against veganism and were raising awareness about the dangers of not eating meat when they publicly consumed raw squirrels," said Natalie Clines, a senior prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service, in a statement sent to USA TODAY.